CHAPTER FIFTEEN
T he sun had long since risen on Leona in her dressing gown while she sat at the kitchen table with her diary finishing the details of the waking dream of death in the Wilderness.
The mad clock had served an unexpected purpose.
Millie apparently believed the spirits possessed Leona the moment the memory unfurled in her mind.
Jesper had hopes now of introducing her to mediumship—that is, taking more money from her but also the ticket deeper into their trust.
The Frosts were stealing money and faith in a series of seances and lessons in mediumship.
They were luring the unsuspecting into their web, exploiting their weaknesses.
Then blackmailing them and perhaps stealing from them.
No wonder Mrs. Drew held onto her ledger all the time.
It must carry the names of all their financial supporters.
But how did this all tie in to Daphne’s murder?
She dressed while Gil slept on, having come in long after she did, close to midnight. At least he knew nothing about this new problem. She’d tell him—when? She didn’t know. When she found all the answers.
Leona hailed a hackney to take her to the street near the spiritualists. She drank coffee in the coffeehouse, then walked to the house leaning on the cane. Though they hadn’t invited her back, she suspected she’d be welcome.
***
S HE’D BARELY GRASPED the brass knocker on the blue door when Mrs. Millie Frost threw it open.
“Oh, I’m so glad,” she cried, embracing Leona. “I was so worried, awake half the night wondering if you were well. If you’d come back to us ever again.”
“Well, here I am!” Leona exclaimed brightly, following Mrs. Frost into the house, limping. “I, too, spent a restless night, wondering if I had dreamed it all. And I believe I am ready to step onto the glorious path of mediumship.”
Mrs. Frost embraced her again with a sharp cry of delight. “You will not be sorry.” She took Leona’s coat and hat and hung them in a closet by the door.
She held out her hand for the reticule. “I can put it with the rest of your things.”
Leona had already removed the gun. But she didn’t want Mrs. Frost or Mrs. Drew snooping through it looking for revealing information. To that point, the pockets of the coat were empty. She’d also cut out the shop labels of both coat and hat.
“Thank you, but I’d like to keep it with me,” she answered.
“As you like,” Mrs. Frost said, her pleasant demeanor not wavering. “Jesper is waiting in the library, which is across from the seance room. I’ll show you the way.”
Leona lifted the veil and arranged it around the brim of the hat. “This is a lovely house. It’s a shame you’re moving.”
Mrs. Frost looked back at her with a smile. The smile made her almost pretty. Her waist was thick beneath the bustle and basque. Dull brown ringlets cascaded around her pale face. What was the saying, moth to the flame?
“We aren’t going yet. Soon. We will not abandon you or your cause,” she replied.
Mrs. Drew called out for Mrs. Frost from the kitchen area in the back of the house.
“If you’ll excuse me. You go on up. He’s waiting.” She took a few steps toward the kitchen, pointing the way.
“Thank you, Mrs. Frost,” Leona said.
“I hope we will be friends, Mrs. St. James.”
“As do I. Please call me Elmira.”
“You may call me Millie, Elmira.”
“Thank you, Millie.”
Her smile never wavered. “Off you go, dear.”
Leona ascended the stairs using the cane and approached the only room with an open door.
She hovered in the doorway not sure what to expect, but she didn’t expect a schoolroom.
Shelves of books against one wall. Four empty chairs in a line faced a large table.
Jesper Frost stood tilting the pages of a book toward the sunlit window to read the words better.
“Ah, Mrs. St. James, wonderful to see you!” He held out his hand to her to lead her into the room. “And you appear to have recovered from your brush with the Otherworld, eh?”
“I am quite recovered.” Leona said. “What a wondrous place this is, Mr. Frost. So many lovely books.”
“Please call me Jesper. There is so much to learn. Last night you took a great leap forward in your journey. Have you decided to join us on the path?”
“I have, Mr. F—Jesper. If that’s what it will take to contact my husband and find his will.”
“Oh, indeed, it will make it much easier for your husband to find you. You’ll be as a shining beacon to him in the ether.”
Leona held back a snort of laughter. The damned phony.
“We shall start with a quick introduction and an outline of the work ahead of us.”
“Sounds wonderful. Yes, let’s begin,” Leona said.
He appeared almost believably serious as he read passages from the book in his hand.
After this, he explained in simpler terms what it all meant.
It wasn’t a short lecture, either. The hard wooden chair helped to keep her awake, as did the dazzling winter sunlight.
He spoke of spheres, harmoniums, zephyrs, and angels.
Of seers and prophets and humbug, humbug, humbug.
As he talked, he darkened the room, pulling the curtains across the window and lighting candles.
Leona relaxed, though her mind chattered with the foolish knowledge filling it.
Her eyes grew heavy as he droned on. When he snapped the book closed, she jumped.
“We are done with books, for the time being,” Jesper said. “Now an introduction to practical mediumship. Millicent will be your guide in this endeavor.”
Their eyes met. Leona suffered a few moments of regret they were adversaries. Imagine if he put all this charisma and intelligence into raising money for charities or scientific education?
Millie stepped into the room, appearing as solemn as he. She wore a white veil flowing over her shoulders, her gown a pale blue and white wool plaid. Leona found Millie harder to read than her husband. Did she believe this bunkum or not?
Millie sank into the seat beside her. “How did you find the lecture?”
“Edifying and gratifying.” Leona leaned her upper body toward Millie. “So many questions answered. But so many raised in their wake.”
“This journey is not for the faint of heart.” Millie took her hand. “You are brave to carry on.”
“But, Elmira,” Jesper said, a hint of remorse in his voice.
“We find ourselves, my wife and I, in a bit of a financial strait, I’m afraid.
You have promised to pay a deposit for your spiritual education.
Invaluable in terms of the soul’s evolution, but the body must have support.
I only bring it up because other students have taken advantage of us and left us high and dry. We must pay the bills.”
“Mrs. St. James is not accountable for the lack of character in our students, my love.” Millie placed her hand on Leona’s arm. “I won’t have it.”
Leona had never stepped foot on the stage but knew a cue when she heard one. She opened her reticule. “Alas, I have neglected to bring my cheque book. Tomorrow?”
“You are the soul of generosity,” Jesper said warmly. “I will leave you to Millie’s good guidance in speaking with the angels today.” He left the room, but stepped back into the doorway once more. “And from what bank, may I ask, will you draw this cheque from?”
“Jesper,” Millie scolded. “That is quite enough talk about money.”
“It’s for Mrs. Drew. She who keeps our financials.”
For a moment, Leona didn’t know how to answer.
Revealing the name would send Mrs. Drew or Jesper to the bank to verify Elmira St. James had an account there.
Further inquiry would yield more information to draw her into the web of deceit.
Except no such account, or person, existed.
But Millie had protested his questioning of her—what did this mean?
“I’ve got a little cash.” Leona pulled out the last of her dwindling supply. She turned to Millie. “It’s all right. I want to help.”
“If you’re quite sure. Thank you, Elmira.” Millie took the money Leona held out. She stood, and handed it to Jesper, unsmiling in the doorway. Whatever had Daphne Van Wyn and her friends seen in this man?
When he left and Millie seated herself again, Leona asked, “Will we speak with angels? I only wanted to ask them or my husband about his will.”
Millie drew her plump, soft-looking hands together and tapped her lips with her extended fingers. “Would you explain to me the problem, Elmira? Jesper did not tell me about a will.”
Leona told the tale again of her husband’s children from his first marriage and their inability to accept his new, revised will. Revised to include Elmira, not exclude the heirs.
“And my dear mother is ill, and I lack the adequate funds to help her.” Leona dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief while Millie watched her.
“Yes, it is expensive to be ill,” Millie said. “My mother—” She stopped herself from going on. “Yes.” Uncertainty rose in her eyes. Had she found empathy with Elmira’s story?
“Millie, what is it?” Leona tamped down her alarm.
What would she do if Millie had an attack of conscience and refused to go on with the lessons?
If she withheld the access Leona needed to further investigate Benedict Van Wyn?
Geneva’s threat spurred her on. “Please, oh, please, won’t you help me?
I pledge my financial support once we find the will, and I can get it into the hands of my lawyer.
Once my mother can see a doctor and obtain treatment. ”
“Of course,” Millie said with warmth and concern, taking Leona’s hand again. “We greatly need each other, don’t we?”
Leona squeezed her cool, soft fingers. “Thank you.”
“All right, we’ll start with that. Perhaps my own angel can guide your husband here for us today.”
“Now? Oh, I thought—” A tremor went through her. She didn’t want to return to the Wilderness.
“I can protect you. I don’t know what happened to you last night, but do you recall anything? We spoke right after. Do you remember?”